TORONTO, November 7, 2024 – Queen Macha will make her third straight graded stakes appearance in Saturday’s Grade 3 $135,000 Bessarabian, at Woodbine. The seven-furlong main track feature for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and upward, has drawn 14 starters, including Queen Macha. A daughter of Keen Ice out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Sue Me Baby, the 5-year-old has constructed a record of 4-5-7 from 27 starts, to go along with $221,774 (U.S.) in purse earnings. Trained by Martin Drexler for owner C2 Racing Stable LLC, the grey mare will contest her fourth consecutive stakes feature after a third in the Sweet Briar Too on Aug. 3, a third in the Grade 3 Seaway on Aug. 24 and a seventh in the Grade 2 bet365 Dance Smartly on Oct. 5. “The last race we ran her in [Dance Smartly] was a bit of a shot to take, but I still think she will be good on the grass,” said Drexler. “Honestly, everything that day just wasn’t ideal. It just didn’t work out.” That said, Drexler, who has eclipsed the $3 million mark in purse earnings for the second consecutive campaign, expects Queen Macha to feel right at home at the seven-panel distance. “She is very good now, physically, and at this point in her career, I think the seven-eighths on the synthetic is pretty much the perfect scenario for her. It still isn’t an easy spot for her to run in, but I know she is going to like it. “She is doing great. Knock on wood, we are going into this in great shape. Hopefully, everything shakes out the way we hope, and she gets a decent trip, she should have the outcome we are looking for. She is in very good order for this one.” Bred by Calumet Farm, Queen Macha launched her career on September 10, 2021, at Gulfstream Park, and finished second. Her next seven starts, all at Gulfstream, yielded another runner-up effort, a pair of thirds, and four consecutive fourth-place results. From Feb. 2, 2022, to Sept. 29, 2022, a stretch of nine races, she finished fourth on eight occasions. Queen Macha’s breakthrough win came at Delaware Park during that time frame, in her tenth lifetime start, on July 2, 2022. Her most recent trip to the winner’s circle came one race prior to the Sweet Briar Too, on July 6, when she rallied for a three-quarter length tally at seven furlongs on the Woodbine all-weather track. “We know what she is capable of, and we love having her in our barn,” said Drexler. “Like I said, I think this distance, for now, is what she is best suited for.” Jorge Pizarro is the groom. Other starters Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes winner A Game, Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes winner Gal in a Rush, multiple stakes winner Sunday Shoes, Toronto Cup Stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Love to Shop, and Bison City Stakes winner Stormcast. Trainer Roger Attfield and Kinghaven Farms teamed to win the first two editions of the Bessarabian, in 1985 with Summer Mood and one year later with Playlist. The race is named after Canada’s champion older female of 1986, a multiple stakes winning daughter of Vice Regent trained by Michael Doyle and owned by Eaton Hall Farm. She finished her racing career with an 18-5-4 mark from 37 starts. Field for the Grade 3 Bessarabian (Race 8) Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 1 – Dolce Sopresa – Sofia Vives – Josie Carroll 2 – Tito’s Calling – Eswan Flores – Mike De Paulo 3 – Stormcast – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse 4 – Queen Macha – Leo Salles – Martin Drexler 5 – A Game – Fraser Aebly – Josie Carroll 6 – Gal in a Rush – Romero Maragh – Christophe Clement 7 – Sunday Shoes – Walter Rodriguez – Wesley Ward 8 – Spansive – Austin Adams – Kevin Attard 9 – Star Candy – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse 10 – Love to Shop – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard 11 – Tripolina – Sahin Civaci – Kevin Attard 12 – Owen’s Tour Guide – Jose Campos – William Armata 13 – Metaphysical – Ryan Munger – Tony Gattellaro 14 – Storm Miami (IRE) – Oisin Murphy – Brendan Walsh -30- Chris Lomon, Woodbine Share This:Share
